Teens + Yoga
May Suri, a 17-year-old PYR Ambassador, designed Yoga Brunch: Teen Edition to help middle school students connect, ground, and find peace. In the process, she's breaking perceptions about what yoga can be. Read on to learn more about May and why she started this unique class.
Tell us about Yoga Brunch: Teen Edition. What is it and what motivated you to start that class? Who's it for?
I wanted to find a way to give back to the community and connect with middle and high schoolers. I think it is so important to get outside and interact with people (socially distanced), especially in a time like this.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you start practicing yoga and what led you do to so?
I started yoga after I developed anxiety in middle school. My love for teaching started in my middle school yoga club. The yoga club teacher was often absent, so I would teach the classes. I started finding my passion for teaching yoga, especially to middle schoolers, and decided to get my certification!
What role has yoga played in your life since the pandemic began?
Yoga has helped ground me throughout the pandemic. I started teaching virtually for PYR in May 2020 and I loved bringing a moment of peace to people in a difficult time. In August of 2020, I got my first job in a yoga studio which helped develop my teaching skills. I decided that the next step for me was to volunteer my time to teach middle schoolers!
Why do you think yoga is valuable for middle and high school students specifically?
Middle and high school are difficult times for students without the pandemic, and it is even more difficult when most of us are isolated. Yoga not only grounds us, but it provides a shared activity where we can feel connected to each other.
What do you enjoy most about teaching tweens and teens?
They are so eager to learn! I have noticed that many tweens and teens have a preconceived notion that yoga can be boring or only for "flexible people." I love showing the fun side of yoga that tweens and teens can connect to. Yoga is truly for everyone, and I love sharing it with groups of people who may not have tried it on their own.
What type of feedback do you get from younger people in your classes?
I have gotten great feedback! Of course, it isn't for everyone, but I mostly get positive responses. Yoga is so rewarding to me because of the effect it has on my students. I love when people come up to me after class and say: "That was actually really fun" or "I really needed this today." It makes me smile.
Teen Yoga Brunch happens the last Sunday of every month from 1-2:30 pm at Maymont. Register your middle school student at www.projectyogarichmond.org/classes.